Tax break recommendations expected in March

The chairman of a legislative study panel reviewing Louisiana's billions of dollars in tax breaks says he won't meet a February deadline to compile recommendations to lawmakers. Rep. Joel Robideaux, a Republican leading the Revenue Study Commission, says he'll have the report and its suggestions ready for the Legislature in early March, about a month before lawmakers return for the regular legislative session.

Rep. Joel RobideauxFile photo

The 14-member panel has spent months combing through more than 460 tax exemptions, credits and rebates, looking at how and if they are tracked for performance.

Robideaux says he doesn't expect the panel to recommend eliminating specific tax breaks, but rather to suggest guidelines for giving them more oversight. He says individual commission members will file bills if they believe specific tax breaks should be removed.